Publications

Since the effects of climate change are already being felt, incorporating adaptation into agricultural policies, plans and investments is needed to maintain and enhance the benefits obtained from agriculture. Risk management strategies have a prominent role to play in adaptation, ranging from increasing resilience of agro-ecosystems through better management of ecosystem services, increasing resilience of livelihoods through social protections policies to disaster risk response. ince the effects of climate change are already being felt, incorporating adaptation into agricultural

policies, plans and investments is needed to maintain and enhance the benefits obtained from agriculture.

Risk management strategies have a prominent role to play in adaptation, ranging from increasing

The Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, represents a new beginning in the global effort to stabilize the climate before it is too late. It recognizes the importance of food security in the international response to climate change, as reflected by many countries focusing prominently on the agriculture sector in their planned contributions to adaptation and mitigation. To help put those plans into action, this report identifies strategies, financing opportunities, and data and information needs. It also describes transformative policies and institutions that can overcome barriers to implementation.

The pilot projects of the Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme of FAO in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania have promoted climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and have been integrated into ongoing development programmes. The objective of the pilot projects was to show that smallholder farmers can improve their livelihoods and increase their productivity and contribute to climate change mitigation at the same time. The approach was to develop packages of climate-smart agricultural practices based on participatory assessments and expert consultations, implement the selected practices using a variety of extension methods and evaluate their effects on yield, food security and their potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on farms and throughout the landscape. Farmers who participated in the MICCA pilot projects reported that the main benefits of CSA were higher yields, greater farm income and increased food availability. This is an indication that smallholder farmers can be an effective part of the response to climate change and make a meaningful contribution to reducing GHG emissions. Bringing sound, up-to-date evidence into decision-making processes can help shape policies that support CSA.

This climate-smart agriculture scoping study for Ethiopia was produced by the FAO. The study is aimed at identifying and documenting existing climate-smart agriculture practices in Ethiopia that enable stakeholders to understand the opportunities and constraints to adopting particular climate-smart agriculture technologies or practices.

This guidebook synthesizes lessons learned from the FAO Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture programme’s work with online communities of practice. It aims to help others searching for effective ways to organize and facilitate online communities. The guidebook is a one-stop resource bank and background for establishing an online community of practice. It is hoped that it will encourage practitioners to organize online learning events. The book is targeted at people working on knowledge management, participatory approaches, stakeholder consultations and networks to enhance online capacity development efforts. The guidance is valid for all sectors, but focuses on challenges related to natural resource management under climate change in the development context.